The Valhalla Awakening
by toast's friend
Summary: It all went downhill for her the moment she accepted the job as Stark's glorified maid/nanny. Now as something sinister lurks in the shadows, she must learn to accept who she is to the people around her. OC involved. References to Norn/Scandinavian folklore. Slow build. All avengers make appearances


A/N: so I pulled my original chapters and melded them together to make this little nugget. Please take the time to read it, because there is a complex plot that will unfurl at a steady pace. Reviews and critic are more than welcome!

Disclaimer: I own nigh but the characters I created. :)

* * *

Meera sighed as she stood into what -by all accounts- should be considered a kitchen. Right now, though?

Right now, it was nothing more than a heaping pile of week old dishes and trash; some of the plates still had food on them and seemed to be growing a form of sentient looking mold. Boxes of old takeout from-_when was the last time he even ordered Korean? -_ were scattered amongst the mountain of trash, like offerings to the Trash God. Half-empty coffee mugs and completely empty scotch glasses sat haphazardly on the counters. Dark streaks were etched across a wall in the far corner of the breakfast nook that looked suspiciously like scorch marks, and some serious smoke damage was collecting above the stovetop. He sure knew how to throw one hell of a "welcome home party" for her and this was only the kitchen.

Meera unceremoniously plopped her suitcase at the doorway and began the long arduous chore of assessing and repairing the damage to Tony Stark's currently trashed penthouse, grumbling dark threats to the Iron Man as she went.

Of course it would be her luck. All she had to do was take **one **week off and look what had become of this place.

_How does someone even generate this much trash?! _She thought idly, while rummaging through a pile of mail left sticky by some mystery adhesive. Did she even want to know? Not likely.

All of her hard work put into cleaning the penthouse, washing walls, vacuuming _every damned crevice_ in a maze of seemingly never-ending corners and secret hidden spaces; cleaning the dozens of 8 foot tall windows and making certain there were no smudges or streaks on the finished product. (Of course it always takes less than 5 minutes after Stark walks into the room for fingerprints to magically re-appear ALL OVER THEM.) All of the sweeping, mopping, and dusting, day in and day out. All of it was in vain.

VAIN.

Ok, so maybe she was being a bit over-dramatic, seeing as how it came with the title of being Tony Stark's personal maid. It was her duty to ensure the upkeep of his home, more often than not though, she just felt like a glorified mother hen. On the days that Pepper goes out of town for business meetings he himself refused to attend, the responsibility of Tony falls on to Meera's shoulders. _And boy does it fall_, she mused, thinking back to the first time she was left alone with him.

It had been shortly after Pepper had hired her on, because everyone knows Tony relies on Pepper for pretty much everything.

* * *

_2 years earlier._

Meera was working at a coffee shop as a full-time barista and art student (go figure) before she became Stark's nanny/maid, and Ms. Potts was a frequent regular coming in often for Tony's hangover "remedy". They grew to know each other on a first name basis and often talked to one another about the problems of their day to day lives.

One faithful day, Meera was overstressed by the fact that she wouldn't be able to cover rent that month because the tuition at her school had risen by 2.5% over the summer. With her meager earnings barely able to break even, on top of financial aid currently put on hold due to the massive attack on the city 6 months prior, she basically had to choose between continuing her education and being homeless. So when Pepper came in and ordered the usual, she bore witness to one of the younger woman's less than favorable moments.

Meera has a habit of overthinking things to the point of driving the most level headed person mad. She lets her thoughts take the reign, pushing her mind into dark corners that keep her trapped like a caged animal. It had been quite some time since she had lost control of her emotions.

She had burst into tears while handing over the drinks, and looked up to see an extremely concerned and alarmed face on the usually calm and collected Pepper. After relaxing herself down a bit, she explained the current dilemma. That was when Pepper took her by the wrist and led her to a table huddled up in a quiet corner.

The art student looked at her in disbelief, "I can't just walk away from my job Pepper, they'll fire me and then I really will be the homeless college drop out." She said snorting.

Pepper looked her in the eye and asked "How would you like to work for Tony Stark?"

"Say what?"

"I'm serious Meera, you're a smart, extremely talented girl. You shouldn't be forced to choose between having a roof over you head and having the chance to start a hugely successful career, and believe me when I say that, because I mean it. I see an enormous amount of untapped talent in you and I want to help bring it out. I've seen what you can create when you put pen to paper, imagine having the widest array of resources at your disposal." Pepper gave her a sincere look.

"I don't kno-" She was cut off.

"You won't have to worry about deciding between rent and tuition; I could have it arranged so that you had a room at the tower. That way you can focus solely on you degree as well as your would be job, and you wouldn't have to travel at all to get to work."

Meera let out an exasperated sigh and tucked a copper lock behind her ear.

"This is really out of the blue Peps, can I sleep on it and give you an answer in a few days?" She asked, biting the corner of her bottom lip.

Pepper gave her a warm smile and handed her a business card, saying, "Of course, here's my number. Call me when you have a decision".

With that, she gave Meera a small squeeze on the shoulder, picked up Stark's coffee and started heading towards the tower.

It didn't take long for her to come up with a decision, two days after Pepper offered her the position Meera got mugged walking home from work. Not three days after she called Pepper with an answer she was moved into a room at Stark Tower. The starving artist was blown away by it all. Even with the damages from the attack six months ago, it was still an amazing and elegant building. Crystal chandeliers hung low and the light from them danced across polished black granite floors. There had to have been a bar on every level that was habitable from what Meera could tell.

A fireplace crackled in the corner of the top floor's living quarters, flames lapping at the sides of it. Posh furniture and rugs that looked like they cost more than what she earned in her entire lifetime decorated the room extravagantly. Oh, and of course there was a bar, probably stocked with the finest liquors in the world. There were a set of doors bedside the bar that lead to a balcony outside, the entire city could be seen from that vantage point, Meera could feel her heart melt and her soul well up at the sight. It was beautiful, a perfect spot for her to come and sketch, paint, anything.

She leaned against the glass railing taking in the city before her. As she closed her eyes she let the buzz of city life into her bones and tried to absorb as much as possible. She let it crash down on her like an oceans swell, threatening to pull her in.

"Hi there. Whatcha ya doing?" The voice broke her from her reverie. The newest member of Stark Industries turned bashfully to look at the business titan-now superhero known only as Tony Stark, standing beside her.

"Um, hi, Pepper recently hired me as your new maid so-to-speak."

"Uh-huh, that's nice. Can't trust me to my own devices while she's away, huh? Oh well, let's just hope you last longer than our last one. That lady was a doozy." said a grinning Iron Man as he took a drink from his glass and leaned forward to join her in the sight of New York at dusk. "Sooo, what's your name?"

"Uh, Meera Reilly?" She replied uncertain. "Nice to meet you?" Stark gave her a sideways look way before looking back out to the city.

"Meera, huh? I like it. But I think I'm gonna call you Meerkat." He said turning to her. Sizing her up. "Yup, you are now known as Meerkat to me. Revel in it kid, not many people get a nickname from me. You should be honored." He said finishing his drink.

She stopped herself from rolling her eyes, like she didn't have enough nicknames from her brother growing up, as she muttered. "Fantastic."

"It sure is. I have a feeling this is the start a beautiful relationship." He proclaimed smirking as he gave Meera a jovially clap on the back. Almost knocking her over the side.

She flailed and squalled around before catching her balance again while Tony just watched and laughed and laughed.

Months later, Tony would claim she wasn't even a little close to falling over the edge. Meera would object vehemently while spouting obscene and colorful phrases his way.

* * *

Meera walked the length of the kitchen surveying the damage as she made her way to the living room. Did she even want to know what was in there?

No.

But, she had to do her duties, no matter how _unsavory_ they were.

_What the fuck is that smell?_ She thought to herself skipping across piles of god knows what laying across the kitchen floor. _I'm gonna__** kill**__ you, Tony._

Stepping into the living room was not what the maid had expected. The mess yes, but the various unconscious bodies lying strewn across the floor, the furniture, the-well-the everything? No.

_Party hard last night, Stark? _She thought to herself with disdain, as she carefully maneuvered her way through the mass of bodies still sleeping off last night's excursions no doubt.

Some of the people she recognized, like the man curled on the loveseat for instance, was the Dr. Bruce Banner that so often joined the man of iron in his labs a few levels below them. They were close friends, which was unusual, but not really in a way she supposed. They were both extremely intelligent, from what she gathered Dr. Banner seemingly more so than Tony, god forbid he ever knew she thought something like that.

But Banner was quiet and reserved, almost shy. Never looking you directly in the eyes, kept his head down quite a bit, too. He was very polite though, and nothing but courteous to Meera, even laughing along with her, sometimes even joining in, as she made jabs at Stark.

Nothing like his brash, narcissistic and often very annoying counterpart. But, they were very close and she could admire that.

What she would give to have someone close like that again. Or ever.

Meera often wondered how it was that they came to be friends, though never outright asking. Probably some science convention thingy or what not, the self-titled Nanny couldn't bear to go to them when Tony offered. She found them painfully boring, as she was never much into science.

She stepped over an enormous sleeping form that was lying in a nest of cushions and pillows. It was someone by the name of Steve Rogers, if she remembered correctly. A man Tony clearly butted heads with, from what she could gather from the few times he came over. Though, it seems their dislike for one another is mutual, only working together when forced to. She wondered how their boss felt when they bickered back and forth like children. Meera could only sympathize.

There was something odd about him, like he jumped right out from the 40's or 50's. He had an old fashioned way about him, always polite, calling her mam, or miss. Meera wasn't sure how to act around him, she felt like if she came out as brazen as usual around him he'd have a stroke. It was also strange seeing him interact with Stark's technology; sure it was something that took some time getting used to.

The first time JARVIS woke Meera up for her morning shift she ended up in a jumbled pile of sheets and blankets, spouting colorful phrases all the same. Tony still hasn't let her live it down.

But the man couldn't even work a cell it seemed. Weird.

Meera didn't seem to recognize anyone else from the group in the living, there was a red head curled up on the corner of the sofa. She seemed prepared to stab someone even in her sleep. The woman was absolutely stunning though, and the artist had to stop in front of her and appreciate the red head in all her glory.

Standing before this woman made her feel like an ant. An ugly little ant.

How she wished she had the curly red hair that this lady had, not her sad coppery colored excuse. Her hair hung straight with little body, hanging just past her shoulders in length. In an attempt to give it some type of volume she cut multiple layers into it, but it did little to help her case. Her bangs were always hanging down in her face, masking her eyes often, unless she decided to wear her wideframed glasses, then you _might _be able to get a glimpse of her eyes.

Said eyes were a pale shade of green that changed to an almost teal on occasion if she wore the right colors. Meera wondered what color this woman's eyes were, blue? Maybe green? She could even see a hazel in there.

The woman before her had curves, like ridiculous curves. Her hips were full and supple and she had a rack that could compare to a god's. Now that's not to say the artist lacked curves, but she certainly was not as well-endowed as this woman, and nowhere near as well toned. Even if she grew up on a horse farm, spending her youth breaking horses, training them and caring for them; no this woman looked like she was cut from stone whereas Meera looked she came out of a Jell-O mold. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of these thoughts that dealt crushing blows to her self-esteem.

Continuing on the task of sneaking through the living room, her eyes settled on another stranger. He sat against the couch with his head at an awkward angle, (he would probably regret it once he woke up) fast asleep. The man seemed to sleep the same way as the woman, on the defense. Meera was starting to feel uncomfortable about being in the same room as these people. It seemed at any moment they would wake up and slit her throat.

_Sorry peeps but I'm not going until I atleast get my fucking master's. Just one more year damned it._ The thought excited her. Over three and a half years of putting up with snobby, self-loathing pompous assholes will finally pay off.

At the edge of her sight Meera caught sight of a small silhouette of a cat standing out against the wall. She turned to look at the cat, but it was gone. _When did Stark get a cat?_ _Weird._

She continued down to the bathroom, after her shower she would start cleaning the penthouse and then go down to Stark's labs and chew him a new asshole.

…Perched on a chandelier above, was a petite grey cat following the girl with calculating yellow eyes as she made her way down the hall.

* * *

Heimdall stood at attention in the bifrost observatory. He stoically listened and watched over the nine realms as he always had.

But as time wore on he began to grow weary.

Closing his eyes, he let himself slip down into Midgard for the moment. In his mind, he sat cross legged in a field and listened to the grass as it grew. It may be a fruitless endeavor to indulge in such trivial things, but it brought a sense of calm over him.

He can appreciate what Thor sees in this small, inconsequential world. The humans, they live their lives oblivious, until only recently, to the growing tension of the surrounding realms. As short lived as their existence may be, these mortals manage to accomplish so much. They live, love, and fight with a fierce passion. And yet, their lifespan is that of a fly when compared to the beings in all the rest of the realms.

Yes, Heimdall hasn't the slightest idea as to why he humors himself by going there. He tells himself it's because they are simple minded beings, that their ignorance is his bliss. A sort of balm to soothe his pain. A pain that soon the entire cosmos will share.

Ragnarök was approaching.

In coming years, the wheels will set in motion and meet their destination. The entire universe will be nothing but blood, flames and death.

And it will be the Midgardians that suffer the most from it.

He sees a world consumed by firestorms; he can see rivers swollen red as bodies float languidly downstream, and a sky that will forever be darkened by the ashes of their destruction.

The realms will crumble, but Midgard will be the first to fall.

Even with Thor's divine intervention.

Even if Loki chooses to redeem himself and fight alongside his brother.

The Humans and their ways are going to perish. Heimdall felt pained by this thought. Even races as slight as them don't deserve the future they have in store.

He turned his attentions to the rest of the nine realms, watching and waiting for the trigger moment that has played over and over in his mind.

The trigger to the beginning of the end.

Suddenly, Heimdall felt a pull. Something was tugging on his energies. At first he ignored the feeling, dismissing it as nothing more than a young elf or Aesir testing their limits with newfound powers. Loki made the same foolish mistake in his youth, and he learned quickly that it best not to trifle with beings such as Heimdall. (That is until recently)

Soon though, the light tug turned into an excruciating yank. It felt like he was being ripped up from his very foundations and he started to tremble.

He could feel his body growing heavy, his limbs becoming thick and uncoordinated. Heimdall's head lolled to the side slightly. He was being drained, wrung clean.

Drawing up all the strength he had left, Heimdall set to locating the source of the pull. Whoever or whatever was doing this had an energy potency that surpassed even himself. He searched the realms for the culprit at large and tried to pinpoint its location.

Whatever it was had been masking itself within a thick layer of dark magic. Heimdall tried reaching out again, only to have the slick oil-like aura of dark magic roll him away as he tried to penetrate it. He could feel himself start to sway as his line of vision blurred around the edges.

Heimdall steadied his body on the great sword held between his hands and gave one last fleeting attempt. Suddenly, the waves of magic parted for him willingly and he was looking down into a familiar face.

At first, he thought his mind was playing tricks. What he saw was a ghost. The being before his eyes had been banished, stripped of their powers and left mere inches from death in the outer realms. But here they were, alive and well, in the least expected place with murder on their mind. They were gathering a legion of dark forces, for only one purpose.

The invasion of Asgard.

Heimdall realized too late that they were aware of his presence, and as he looked down onto them with clouded vision, the deity looked up to him and smiled widely before pushing him away into darkness. They wanted to be found.

Heimdall stumbled away from his position and ended up kneeling at the start of the rainbow bridge. He had to inform the king of his discovery. As he swayed along the bridge a flash of red and silver caught his eye.

_Thor._

He him shout his name as they neared each other. "Heimdall!" Confusion and worry laced his voice. As Thor reached his side, he heaved one arm over his shoulder and began to carry/walk Heimdall to the healer's ward.

Before he slipped from consciousness, Heimdall muttered two words.

"On Midgard."

* * *

"What the hell, Stark? I'm gone for one week and your penthouse looks like a fucking scene from Mad Max!"

Tony blinked in surprise.

He didn't think it was _that_ bad, and wait-she knows that movie?! Brownie points for Timon. Not looking up from his workstation he drawled out "Come on Meerkat, I couldn't let you get lazy while you were on vacay, now could I?" He soldered some wires together poking at them as he did.

"Besides, in case you hadn't noticed I've been playing host to some of the most maddening house guests. EVER."

"I had no idea you thought so low of me Stark." Spoke a gentle voice from behind. Dr. Banner was walking through the doors rubbing sleep from his eyes wearily, sporting his usual cheeky grin.

"You are exempt from this rule Brucie-kins. You and Timon here." Stark said pointing his soldering iron at Meera as she rolled her eyes.

"Could you NOT point that shit at me. Please."

"What this?" Tony asked poking at the tool he was holding. "This thing is harml—oww shit!"

Meera laughed out loud at the sight of Tony sucking on his thumb like a baby. Bruce joined in with a low chuckle. She pulled out her phone quickly and said "cheese!" before snapping a photo of Iron Man sucking his thumb. Priceless.

"Oh this is so going on the internet." She said excited.

"Lemme see your phone."

"Nope."

"Please?"

"Nooooo"

Tony stuck out his bottom lip in a fake pout before focusing on the work in front of him again saying, "You're no fun."

"Hardly, I'm the most entertaining nanny you've ever had, and you know I'm right." She said pointing lazily at him with a quirked eyebrow.

It took Stark a moment to realize she was mocking him before he sputtered, "Nanny? NANNY? Did you just really?" Meera gave him a knowing grin before hop-skipping towards the doors.

"I sure did, now I gotta get back to this warzone, if you'll excuse me," as she opened the door Meera caught a glimpse of a small grey cat lounging in the hallway. "By the way, did you get a cat while I was away?"

Tony jerked his head up "Hell no, why?"

She turned to look at him before saying, "Never mind."

Shaking her head she walked out to the kitchen/hell hole.

* * *

Loki sat rigid in his cell and stared. His eyes bore would be holes into the wall. The book he had been reading was lying on the table beside him.

The ever familiar pull of something sinister still lingered in the air around him, thick and heavy like smoke from a brushfire.

Was that dark magic he felt?

Fingers twitching, Loki stood and flexed his wrists. He felt like a caged animal, desperately wishing to be free of this infernal place. Loki paced the length of his cell, thinking back to the opaque weight that had momentarily smothered him.

The feeling brought back a pining in him that hurt to the core. What he would give to be able to have access to his magic again. But Odin_ in all his infinite wisdom_ decreed that his magic be sealed until he was fit to yield it once more. Loki didn't understand why his magic was used as punishment against him. When he went in attempt to rule Midgard he had hardly used it, but save for a few party tricks here and there. Taking away his magic was like taking away his ability to swallow. It was a part of him, and that part of him was empty and aching.

But still, Odin was fierce in his decision, blatantly stating that if it weren't for Frigga (_mother_) he would be dead, instead of wasting away in a cell tucked into the deepest parts of the dungeons.

Though, Loki wondered if death would have been the better choice. As each day passes, he comes to regret his actions more and more.

Regretting pushing Thor_ (brother_) away, when he needed him most.

Regretting letting go of the staff at the end of the bridge and falling into a black nothingness.

(_No, Loki.)_

Now what did he have? Nothing, not even his own sound mind. He was left to his own devices in the dark dungeons. Left to sit and fester like an untreated wound. Completely alone.

Metal scraping against stone tore him from his brooding. Heavy footsteps made their way across the room slowly. He knew who it was without even looking.

"Loki"

"Hello, Brother."

* * *

_In the spring we made a boat  
Out of feathers, out of bones.  
We set fire to our homes,  
Walking barefoot in the snow.  
_

_Thick forests, high mountain meadows, and streams lie below open ridges._ _A myriad of pristine lakes speckle the delicate tundra, broken only by a plateau of bold and jagged peaks. Tall conifers of spruce, pine, and fir guard the outer edges of the primeval woodland like silent giants. Somewhere within the thicket a rustling sounds._

"_Alex, wait up!" shouted a petite brunette as she trampled through the forest with as much grace as a newborn elephant. Twigs and leaves clung haphazardly to her messy ponytail and dried mud was smeared across the brunette's face. A deep throated chuckle resonated through the air and out stepped the man known as Alex._

"_Maybe you should move faster then?" The man replied condescendingly. He turned back to face the forest before them. "Isn't it beautiful, Jenna?" _

_Distant rhythm of the drum  
As we drifted towards the storm.  
Baby lion lost his teeth,  
Now they're swimming in the sea._

_Jenna crossed her arms and scowled, "I would think the same thing if I weren't being dragged through it at the speed of light."_

_The man turned to glance at her for a moment before murmuring an apology. The woman's shoulders relaxed and she trudged up to stand beside him. Quietly clutching his hand she murmured, "What is it that you are so keen on showing me here?"_

_The man turned and smiled before pointing to a clearing. "There."_

_Below was a gorgeous glacial green lake surrounded by a forested bowl. The water was clear and shimmering, as small dark torpedo shaped silhouettes darted to and fro._

'_Fish' Jenna thought to herself. The outer edge of the lake was carpeted with wildflowers that color's ranged from white to a deep azure blue. Butterflies and hummingbirds danced back and forth between each other. She smiled a toothy grin._

"_You were right, it is beautiful" The brunette said while hugging the man's arm close to her._

_Troubled spirits on my chest_  
_Where they laid to rest._  
_The birds all left, my tall friend,_  
_As your body hit the sand._

_Suddenly it was upon them faster than lightning. "I enjoy your appreciation of my home." It purred from behind. _

_Jenna turned, eyes going wide as the color drained from her face. Before them stood a stunningly beautiful woman with long golden hair that came down and gently caressed the swell of her buttocks, she was bare naked. The woman seemed to have just finished swimming, wet tendrils of hair clung to her skin in all the right places. Trails of goosebumps ghosted across her body as her soft pink nipples hardened into small peaks. Her full lips pursed like she was thinking of something important. She looked radiant, and Alex seemed to think so as well._

_The petite brunette beside Alex, began to feel unnerved by the sudden appearance of this beautiful naked woman. There was something sinister about her. She started to tug at his sleeve urging him that it was time to leave, but he didn't respond. Instead, he started taking tentative steps towards the strange woman before him._

"_Alex what are you doing!" She hissed at him, but the man's eyes were blank and glazed. Jenna began to claw desperately at his arm, trying to bring him back to her. The naked woman raised her hand turning the palm up and beckoned him to follow with a long, slender digit. The man ripped his arm from Jenna and started taking clumsy steps towards the golden haired goddess before them. _

"_ALEX WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Jenna screamed more out of fear than anger and watched as she wrapped a silken hand around his wrist, turning back towards the forest._

_When the woman turned Jenna's heart lurched in her throat. "Your back, wha-what's wrong with your back?" she croaked._

_Million stars up in the sky  
Formed a tiger's eye  
That looked down on my face,  
Out of time and out of place._

_Instead of soft flesh covering the woman's back there was hard hollow bark, with twisted branches protruding in random directions. The skin where it met with the wood was taunt and speckled with grey cracks. Every so often the skin would stretch and rip, producing a black viscous looking jelly that leaked out of it. Sitting just above her bottom was a long grey, forked tail that whipped through the air violently. Then, Alex and the mystery woman were gone. _

"_ALEXXX!" Jenna shrieked at the top of her lungs. She spun around screaming his name, trying to find them. In the distance she could hear an unearthly cry, as if it were being wrenched from their throat, then it stuttered to a low guttural groan before ending completely with a sickeningly wet crunch._

_Jenna stood in silence as salty tears leaked down her face, her whole body shook uncontrollably. Faintly, she could hear the sound of something heavy crashing through the forest towards her. Then suddenly it stopped, she let a breath she wasn't aware she was holding and started to relax._

_Behind her a low, rasping growl emitted. The last thing Jenna felt was a pair of strong, wet claws gripping at her mouth and chest as she was yanked deeper into the forest._

* * *

Meera woke herself up screaming and falling out of the bed, her legs twisted in the sheets as she struggled to regain her composure. She laid on the floor in a jumbled mess gasping for air, a sheen of sweat covering her body.

What in the fuck just happened?


End file.
